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Thread: 7/31/2014 AZTEC overnight, Yellowfin smashfest

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
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    Default 7/31/2014 AZTEC overnight, Yellowfin smashfest

    Greetings FNN, as we all have witnessed or read about, it has been wide open this year on party boats. With the opportunity to partake in some insane tuna fishing, a buddy and I booked an overnight on the Aztec. We left for Diego around 3:00 pm, the traffic was ATROCIOUS, taking us four hours to arrive at our destination. We finally arrived at Seaforth a little past seven and checked in at the shop. I really enjoy Seaforth due to the free and plentiful parking in close proximity to the tackle shop. We grabbed a bite to eat, then the waiting game began.

    Here is a shot of the marina before we boarded.


    As we were waiting, we see the San Diego pulling in. As packed as that boat is, there is good reason. IMO, It's one of the best 3/4 boats around, period.

    We board the boat and what a beautiful boat it was. Wide comfortable bunks and the recent face lift applied to the galley really made for a pleasant experience on the boat. After some shut eye, we started fishing around 4:45 AM. Time to put in work. Our first stop, immediately the slaughter had begun. On this trip, no trolling necessary. We were following the birds, hitting the boils, moving to different spots in very close proximity and catching fish at every stop. Sardines were the victims. One thing I learned this trip, butt hooking 'dines works MUCH better than nose hooking. They seem to swim better and retain a higher ratio of swimming away from the boat. It was the captain, Greg Gawitt, who suggested it. Great call.

    To sum it all up, we were smashing Yellowfins all day. One of the best offshore trips in recent memory indeed. Final count, 24 anglers 120 Yellowfin. The limited load really helped with having enough space and possible tangles. Here are a few pics from the trip:

    Nice quality...this guy put up a helluva fight.


    My buddy David with two nice models of his own. He had the victory stogie in his mouth...perfect.


    Smashfest on the Aztec


    During the fish cleaning, one of the anglers decided it was sashimi time. Sean, one of the crew members, cut up a nice filet and we gorged ourselves on the freshest AHI I have ever tasted. It was truly a memorable trip. I wish I took more pics but unfortunately my phone died. Great boat, great captain and awesome crew. I will book again. Thanks for taking the time to read. Enjoy your weekend FNN'ers.

  2. #2

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    Wow that's freaking awesome! Congrats. Exciting to hear as I will be on the boat leaving on the 10th! If you don't mind, what was your setup?

  3. #3
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    Awesome report! Well done.. Sure is nice to get out there and get some exoctics.. The Aztec is under new ownership this season.. Only fished with the new owner one time last year on Toads Only's charter but I gotta say Capt Greg (also owns The Pride) fishes hard and it shows in his counts..

    What I'm about to say may seem hard to believe with fishing as good as it is but based on the counts, volume, and range of exoctics seen in past major El Nino cycles I would have to say that this El Nino's has a ways to go to reach the level we saw in 83 and 97 but this season is without a doubt the best we have seen since 97.. I'll take it all day any day. Fishing is phenomenal right now.. For those of you who missed the 83 and 97 El Nino seasons I'm sorry but chances are you missed it because you were too young or perhaps not around yet. No worries with any luck there will be many more major El Ninos to come. Sure enjoying this one for now... I love El Nino..

    JerryG
    Last edited by jerryG; 08-01-2014 at 10:07 PM.

  4. #4
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    Thanks for the report

    This season is really turning on. Waiting for Santa Monica Bay Tuna.
    Reports of YFT 10 miles off San Pedro already come in.
    Kayak Dorado and Tuna ?
    Will Wingnut put Tuna on his Mako ?
    Small boats be ready.
    DR

  5. #5

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    Nice mess o'tuna! It looks like it was worth the bad traffic...

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by larry626 View Post
    Wow that's freaking awesome! Congrats. Exciting to hear as I will be on the boat leaving on the 10th! If you don't mind, what was your setup?
    Thanks Larry, it was freaking awesome indeed. Great choice on taking the Aztec...quality boat, just quality. I took 3 setups and ended up using 2:

    Setup 1: 65lb spectra, 25lb fluoro leader, size 1 hook
    Setup 2: 30lb mono, 25lb fluoro leader, size 2 hook

    I also took a 65lb spectra, 40lb fluoro leader just in case we stumbled upon some larger fish. The boat will also provide size 1 hooks AND 25lb fluoro leader which is even more awesome. I would take extra just in case. You are going to have a blast. Looking forward to a report, thanks.

    Quote Originally Posted by jerryG View Post
    Awesome report! Well done.. Sure is nice to get out there and get some exoctics.. The Aztec is under new ownership this season.. Only fished with the new owner one time last year on Toads Only's charter but I gotta say Capt Greg (also owns The Pride) fishes hard and it shows in his counts..

    What I'm about to say may seem hard to believe with fishing as good as it is but based on the counts, volume, and range of exoctics seen in past major El Nino cycles I would have to say that this El Nino's has a ways to go to reach the level we saw in 83 and 97 but this season is without a doubt the best we have seen since 97.. I'll take it all day any day. Fishing is phenomenal right now.. For those of you who missed the 83 and 97 El Nino seasons I'm sorry but chances are you missed it because you were too young or perhaps not around yet. No worries with any luck there will be many more major El Ninos to come. Sure enjoying this one for now... I love El Nino..

    JerryG
    Hey Jerry, thank you for the kind words. Talk about fishing hard, Captain Greg and the crew are super intense. I love the crew's approach towards landing quality fish and really making sure the anglers are having a killer time. As far as past El Ninos are concerned, I've had quite a few conversations with some very seasoned anglers and the stories they share are legendary. I hope this season only gets better and will be able to hold its own compared to previous cycles. In the mean time, I think all fisherman will enjoy what mother nature has in store for us. Thanks jerryG, take it easy sir.

    Quote Originally Posted by DockRat View Post
    Thanks for the report

    This season is really turning on. Waiting for Santa Monica Bay Tuna.
    Reports of YFT 10 miles off San Pedro already come in.
    Kayak Dorado and Tuna ?
    Will Wingnut put Tuna on his Mako ?
    Small boats be ready.
    DR
    Hey DR, as jerryG mentioned above the 83 and 97 EL Nino cycles were phenomenal. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to experience those BUT this year seems to be pretty incredible. As the season rolls on and the activity heightens, I can't wait for future outings. Surely, great memories and stories are ahead. Thanks DR.

    Quote Originally Posted by Stumpknocker View Post
    Nice mess o'tuna! It looks like it was worth the bad traffic...
    Thanks Stumpknocker. It was well worth the traffic, the not being able to sleep the previous night and then some. Constant action, super intense, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Btw, that tuna in your pic on the homepage is bad @$$.

  7. #7

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    awesome report!

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by BALLERONBUDGET View Post
    awesome report!
    Thanks dood. When are we gonna wet some lines man? I'll get together with Doug and let's try to set something up.

  9. #9
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    Thumbs up

    What a fun trip, congrats on hammering them good.
    I need to get back out there again... only been out there once this year.

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